Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Mar 13;10(1):e56-e67.
eCollection 2019 Mar.

Building successful and sustainable academic health science partnerships: exploring perspectives of hospital leaders

Sarah DeBoer  1 , Jamie Dockx  1 , Chris Lam  1 , Shabdit Shah  1 , Gillian Young  1 , Martine Quesnel  1 , Stella Ng  2   3 , Brenda Mori  1   3
Affiliations

Building successful and sustainable academic health science partnerships: exploring perspectives of hospital leaders

Sarah DeBoer et al. Can Med Educ J. .

Abstract

Background: Clinical work-based internships form a key component of health professions education. Integral to these internships, academic health science partnerships (AHSPs) exist between universities and teaching hospitals. Our qualitative descriptive study explored the perspectives of hospital leadership on AHSPs: what they are composed of, and the facilitators and barriers to establishing and sustaining these partnerships.

Methods: Fifteen individuals in a variety of hospital leadership positions were purposively sampled to participate in face-to-face interviews, after which a thematic analysis was conducted.

Results: Participants reported that healthcare and hospital infrastructure shapes and constrains the implementation of clinical education. The strength of the hospitals' relationship with the medical profession facilitated the partnership, however other health professions' partnerships were viewed less favourably. Participants emphasized the value of hospital leaders prioritizing education. Further, our findings highlighted that communication, collaboration, and involvement are considered as both facilitators and barriers to active engagement. Lastly, opportunities stemming from the partnership were identified as research, current best practice, improved patient care, and career development.

Conclusion: Our study found that AHSPs involve the drive of the university and hospitals to gain valued capital, or opportunities. Reciprocal communication, collaboration, and involvement are modifiable components that are integral to optimizing AHSPs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: There are no conflicts of interest for any of the authors.

References

    1. Rodger S, Webb G, Devitt L, et al. . A clinical education and practice placements in the allied health professions: an international perspective. J Allied Health. 2008;37:53–62. - PubMed
    1. Recker-hughes C, Padial C, Becker E, et al. . Clinical Site Directors ’ Perspectives on Clinical Education. Journal of Physical Therapy Education. 2016;30:21–8.
    1. Merriam Webster Dictionary. 2004. [Internet]. Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/university [Accessed July 9, 2017].
    1. Ludmerer KM. Time to Heal: American Medical Education from the Turn of the Century to Era of Managed Care. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2007.
    1. Academic Health Sciences Centres- National Task Force Securing the Future of Canada’s Academic Health Sciences Centres; A Case Study Describing the Current State and Future Issues. 2009.

LinkOut - more resources